The American media spin from Newsweek
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appeared (??) to beat back a challenge from Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP), winning his third five-year term since taking office in 2014. Erdoğan claimed (??) victory on Sunday, telling supporters in a speech, “I thank each member of our nation for entrusting me with the responsibility to govern this country once again for the upcoming five years,” the Associated Press reported.
Turkey, however, has taken an important role in the conflict, often serving as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. Erdoğan himself has walked a fine line between support for Ukraine while also maintaining close diplomatic relations with Russia. Both countries lie along the Black Sea, so maintaining strong economic ties has remained a priority for both governments.
Erdoğan’s victory likely guarantees a continuation of the status quo.
Still, Erdoğan has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “unacceptable” while also voicing criticisms against the West’s response to the war. He has resisted going as far as other European countries with regards to economic sanctions against Russia, but Turkey’s government has also provided the Ukrainian military with drones.
Notably, Turkey’s actions in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have aligned with the interests of Russia. Turkey has previously blocked bids from Sweden and Finland to join NATO, which would bring the alliance to Putin’s doorstep. The Russian leader has also opposed the expansion of NATO, an issue that has sparked tensions with the West.
Newsweek wants you to believe it was “unclear”unclear how Turkey’s approach to diplomacy would have shifted- It was not unclear!
Putin congratulated Erdoğan on his victory, writing in a statement that he appreciates the Turkish president’s “personal contribution to strengthening friendly Russian-Turkish relations, mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas.”
“Winning the election was a natural result of your selfless work as head of the Republic of Turkey, evidence of the Turkish people’s support for your efforts to strengthen the state sovereignty and the pursuit of an independent, independent foreign policy,” the Russian leader wrote.
Erdoğan has previously touted his relationship with Putin during his reelection bid.
“We are not at a point where we would impose sanctions on Russia like the West have done. We are not bound by the West’s sanctions,” he told CNN earlier this month. “We are a strong state and we have a positive relationship with Russia.”
3 replies on “Putin Scores a Win in Turkey’s Election?”
Hi Penny,
You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but I am still often “triggered” by the arrogance, dishonesty and superiority complex that permeates ‘western’ press coverage. Erdogan did not “claim victory”, he was legally proclaimed the victor by whatever constitutional ‘electoral college’ apparatus they have there. This after a one day counting process apparently without substantial disruption or malfeasance, which was able to report seemingly consistent and uncontested hourly polling updates. The loser conceded publicly, leaving the Turkish people, to whatever large or small extent, with a sense of electoral closure; a renewal of the democratic ideal. It produced a clear mandate.
This is as opposed to what elections bring to politically under-
developed countries such as the USA where ‘counting’ dragged on for turbulent weeks, the loser never conceded, large swaths of the population believed in vote fraud all to eventually result in no clear mandate, no sense of electoral closure or spirit of democratic renewal. And the latest Biden/Trump pantomime was not the first or I suspect the last U.S. electoral fiasco. I remember well the Bush/Gore shadow boxing in the year 2000 where the corrupt morass of the Florida results lead to tawdry back room deals and the Supreme Court throwing it’s hands in the air, proclaiming that the constitutional outcome was impossible to determine and awarding victory a month later to the faux Texan buffoon.
It’s time for the ‘western’ mainstream media to be subjected to a thorough refresher course in the meaning of democracy, preferably in some kind of Maoist type re-education facility.
Mark, it is a righteous indignation.
I drew attention to the manipulative language because it’s so pervasive in our media, done to persuade, rather than inform.
A well chosen word can alter entirely the meaning of a sentence.
Glad some of us are aware of it!
I recall Bush and Gore very well- Gore conceded because he was all set to profiteer off the carbon scam so why not?
He was going to be the first carbon billionaire- I recall the reports, and have linked one below
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/6491195/Al-Gore-could-become-worlds-first-carbon-billionaire.html
Yet another example of prime perception managing